


To Woo a Mantid

by elil



Series: Embers in the Soil [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Multi, No Angst, by which i mean they ain't, hornet is gunna go on dates, more slice of life in a vague direction than plot, not even a little, there are more vessels, this is post a lost light but u dont rly need to read it to follow, tpk and herrah are very helpful, tpk is called gwyn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-05-07 20:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19217413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elil/pseuds/elil
Summary: Hornet has found her Queen, but telling her? Wooing her? Whomstve?





	1. Chapter 1

Hornet had overcome many things in her life. Effectively raising herself. The Infection. Ruling a kingdom brought back from the brink. Ghost, as a concept. Her father, also as a concept.

Unfortunately, this meant some things had fallen to the wayside. They simply hadn’t had a place in a life determined to survive and only survive. Except now the kingdom prospered—which was a great, great thing—and she had, dare she say it? Free time. 

Court was empty save for the last bug Gwyn was helping fill out a request slip, and it was barely past noon. After a few minutes more the bug left and she let out a sigh.

“That’s your second big one in the past hour,” Herrah hummed from her right.

“I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

She ran a thumb over the hilt of her needle. “I don’t know— _do not_.”

Piri took their hand off her needle, chirping. “No.”

Gwyn walked over and picked Piri up, cooing to the pouting Vessel.

“Are you sure you don’t know?” Herrah hummed.

Hornet sighed again. “I…”

Her mother and father exchanged glances. Gwyn then cleared his throat. “Would it happen to involve-”

“A certain mantid?” Herrah said.

She let out a low _hurk,_ staring out the window. Rain pittered against the window, as always. “I didn’t say that.”

“That’s not a denial,” Gwyn said.

“Shut up.”

“Goodness. It _is_ ,” Herrah said, fanning herself. Hornet rolled her eyes.

“Fine, yes. It’s about Briar. I would like…” she hesitated. What would she like? Briar to visit more? Live here? She supposed baby steps. Visit more. It wasn’t often she found someone who could beat her in a duel, much less knock her on her back and loom over her and then giggle so _warmly_ and she forced herself to stare at the tiny rivers of rain and focus.

“… to date her?” Gwyn prompted. She let out another _hurk_.

“I can’t just- how do I just _tell her_ -”

“It’s easy,” Herrah said. “Here. Gwyn. Help me demonstrate.” 

Gwyn set Piri down. Herrah plucked a flower from a nearby bouquet and held it out to him.

“Gosh,” Gwyn said, taking it and placing his free hand on his chest. “How lovely.”

“Do you wanna bang? I’m thinking tonight.”

“You didn’t even take me out to dinner.”

“I was thinking we could multit-”

“ _No_ ,” Hornet snapped, pulling at her mask. “You are both _awful_.”

They bowed in unison. Brats. Piri lifted their arms in victory. Adorable. “Get me someone with actual dating skills.”

“So… Shard,” Herrah muttered, before nodding. “Shard. Gwyn, go get Shard.”

Gwyn trotted off, Piri running after him and climbing onto his shoulder. Hornet groaned and pulled at her mask again. “I was _joking_.”

“You should invite her over more often.”

“No.”

“Then how will you date her?”

“Hhhhnnngggg-”

“Maybe Thistle will come, too.”

“No. Thistle gave all the Vessels mantis claws. Thistle is banned. You,” she snapped her fingers at a nearby guard. “Get someone to tell Thistle he’s banned from the palace.”

“Does this fall under your previous order of ‘disregard unreasonable banning requests made in annoyance?’”

“Yes,” Hornet said, before slumping in her seat and muttering, “I hate past me. Too reasonable.”

Herrah patted a hand. “It’s what makes you such a good Queen.”

“ _Ugh._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be added to a series that's just "random scenes based on a A Lost Light" lmao.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help arrives, in a soft, squishy formation.

“I,” Monomon said, clasping her tendrils together. “Could perhaps offer you some assistance.”

“I thought you were getting Shard,” Hornet said, ignoring the jelly to stare at her father. 

“According to the other servants, he’s on a vacation with Splint,” Gwyn said mildly.

“Getting their-” Herrah began.

“No. Nope. No,” Hornet said, cutting her off.

“And Monomon heard while passing by,” Gwyn said. “What am I to do? Tell her no?”

“ _Yes._ ”

“I have studied the makeup and rituals of shelled bugs extensively,” Monomon assured. “I’ve also had a partner. You can’t do the floating and the twirling as well, but we’ll improvise.”

“You _never_ told me this,” Gwyn said incredulously. 

“You never asked. I showed you a cool invention and you were like ‘ooohh neat, you’re hired,’ but more formally. Not a single background check.”

“You didn’t do background checks?” Hornet muttered.

“Why would I have done background checks? I’m immortal.”

“What about the safety of the rest of the-”

“You _know_ that was _not_ a thought of mine then, do you know how new holding two thoughts or worries at the same time is?”

Piri raised a hand.

“Yes, Piri,” Gwyn said.

[When you got slam-dunked by a be-]

“Thank you, Piri,” Gwyn said, gently holding their hands.

“So,” Monomon chimed. “My initial suggestion is that you write a letter to Briar-”

“Did Gwyn even mention-”

“No, it’s really obvious. Write a letter to Briar stating your affections.”

“Ooh, a courtship letter. I still have the one you gave me,” Herrah said, glancing at Gwyn.

“I literally wrote it in front of you as a formality. Burn it immediately.”

“Never.”

“Gwyn could help you with it,” Monomon said, ignoring the other two. “At least with the formal aspect.”

“Y- you just,” Hornet croaked. “Expect me to write my feelings? On some parchment?”

“You are the Queen of Hallownest. The Mantis Tribe would expect this of you. Honestly, you probably should have done this _before_ dancing with her at The Winter Festival, but what’s done is done.”

Hornet pulled at her mask.

“Then, assuming she accepts and writes back, you could block out a few days of free time and invite her to visit. I’m sure Herrah could handle court for a bit-”

“Stop stop stop, can we please focus on the writing a love letter bit first?”

“Courtship letter,” Monomon corrected, humming lightly. 

“That makes it woorrseee.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine. Gwyn managed it.”

“Thrice,” Gwyn confirmed.

“Thrice?” Herrah echoed, before clasping her hands. “Oh shit. I’ve _got_ to see what you wrote to Lurien-”

“You do _not_ -”

“I bet it’s so _nerdy_ -”

“Heerrraahhh,” Gwyn whined.

“Did you compare him to stars woven in the finest silk?”

“N- no.”

“Good, because that shit was cute in mine, and you better not be recycling lines.”

“Aw, you did like-”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You just did.”

“Gwwwyynnn,” Herrah whined. 

Hornet rubbed her temples. “I’ll work on it,” she muttered.

“Oh, Wyrm, Hornet,” Monomon said. She cleared her throat. “The most important part! Now, you see, when two bugs love each other very much-”

“I’ve had sex before, thank you. Please leave me to draft this letter in some semblance of peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to write the letter, don't I.


	3. Chapter 3

Of course, no one left. Honestly, what was the point of being Queen if your closest advisers didn’t listen to you? She supposed that was a good thing. Ugh.

“Fine. How do I start it? Someone. Parchment. Ink,” Hornet said, a servant running out of the room. 

“You’ve had sex?” Gwyn blurted. The guards, bless their hearts, did not react, merely staring at the wall behind the throne.

“Oh my Wyrm, dad, please.”

“The Wyrm has heard you and replies: You’ve had sex?”

“You think,” Herrah said, placing a hand on her chest. “A child of mine couldn’t get laid?”

“I’m not saying that-”

“I seduced a _god_.”

“I’m right! Here!”

“Children,” Hornet snapped, rubbing her temples. “Please.”

The servant returned, Hornet placing the supplies on the slab of stone that just fit over the arms of the throne. Perhaps she should write this somewhere more private? Monomon wiggled eagerly. No, no, she had to at least start or she’d never be left alone.

“Dear Briar,” she said.

“Dearest,” Monomon and Gwyn both said, and she let out a sigh before scratching the word out and fixing it. 

“Dearest Briar… I have no idea what to say.”

“That’s good,” Monomon hummed. “Cute. She’s taken the words from you.”

Hornet sighed again and wrote this down. “I hope this finds you well. That’s it, I’m going to my room, I can’t have you all _staring_.”

“Fair enough,” Monomon said. Hornet was a bit surprised; she had expected the jelly to be the most fervent in being present. “Such things take time. Reflection.”

“Uh huh.”

“You are a warrior! A queen! And deep down, a poet.”

“Uh huh.”

The jelly clasped her tendrils and wiggled happily as she left. The door closed as she heard Herrah said, “I could remind you of a grand time, Gwyn-” and frankly, she was glad that was the end of it. She rubbed her face and trotted up the stairs to her room.

Ghost was curled up in Hollow’s nest, and she supposed it could be worse. Hollow, she sensed, would have a gist of what was going on. Ghost did not. Ghost chirped once and rolled themselves further into a blanket burrito as she sat at her desk.

Hornet… truly had no idea where to go from here. Briar was her equal, if not superior, in combat, graceful and soft and deadly. She had no wings but leapt as though she could fly, danced and giggled so sweetly and got a bit of icing on her nose. Hornet buried her face in her arms. How did one eloquently say “cute, but hot?”

“Ghost,” she said, lifting her head. “I’m doomed.”

Ghost pulled a hand free of their blanket and gave her a thumbs up.


End file.
